The Applicant has previously demonstrated that pagewidth inkjet printheads may be constructed using a plurality of printhead integrated circuits (‘chips’), which are abutted end-on-end along the width of a page. Although this arrangement of printhead integrated circuits has many advantages (e.g. minimizing the width of a print zone in the paper feed direction), each printhead integrated circuit must still be connected to other printer electronics, which supply power and data to each printhead integrated circuit.
Hitherto, the Applicant has described how a printhead integrated circuit may be connected to an external power/data supply by wirebonding bond pads on each printhead integrated circuit to a flex PCB (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No 7,441,865). However, wirebonds protrude from the ink ejection face of the printhead and can, therefore, have a deleterious effect on both print maintenance and print quality.
It would be desirable to provide a printhead assembly in which printhead integrated circuits are connected to an external power/data supply without these connections affecting print maintenance and/or print quality.